St James' Church, Birdham

St James’ Church stands on the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex, a short distance from Chichester and its harbour. The building mixes centuries of work: the nave dates from the fourteenth century, the tower from the sixteenth, and most of the chancel from the nineteenth. A major restoration in 1863 and 1882–83 by G.M. Hills replaced much of the chancel and renewed the nave windows. The tower, with its diagonal buttresses, remains largely unchanged since about 1545. Architectural historian Ian Nairn described the Victorian restoration as “terrifyingly harsh.” The church is Grade I listed and holds fittings from different ages. An octagonal font was added in 1883, and a modern east window by M.C.F. Bell shows the miraculous catch of fish with Chichester Cathedral in the background. A banner depicts scenes from the lives of Sussex saints, designed by Yvonne Hudson and worked by the ladies of the church. Two bells survive: one from the fourteenth century inscribed “IOHANES” and another dated 1695 by William Hunneman. Inside, the nave has three bays marked by buttresses, with Victorian stonework on the inner window surrounds. The chancel arch is fourteenth century, while the chancel itself follows the 1863 restoration. The squat tower has sixteenth-century Perpendicular style arches set on older shafts, giving an unusual appearance. Outside, the church sits among houses close to Chichester Harbour, a quiet spot with views across the water.